The difference between a successful cold call and a swift hang-up often comes down to one thing: context. In the latest episode of Bold Calling, host Adam Sockel sits down with two industry pros—Daisy Chung, Head of Revenue Strategy at Orum, and Ernest Owusu, Head of Sales Development Transformation at 6sense—to break down the art and science of making calls that actually convert.
Does Context Really Matter?
Right out of the gate, Adam poses the million-dollar question to Ernest: "Does having context before a rep makes a call actually matter?"
"Yeah, that's a great question. It definitely helps. From my perspective, on the hundreds of thousands of calls I've listened to, having that context allows you to break down barriers and be more personalized. But you can absolutely be a phenomenal cold caller without it." – Ernest Owusu
Daisy agrees, but adds an important nuance: It’s not just about gathering context, but how you use it.
"The opportunity cost of time is key. It only takes a few seconds to research, but how you apply that context makes all the difference. You can either sound generic or make it personal and engaging." – Daisy Chung
Personalization vs. Intent: What’s the Difference?
A common debate in sales: How do you balance intent signals (job changes, product interest, website visits) with personal touches?
"Intent data is what's given to you. Personalization is what you do with it." – Daisy Chung
Ernest expands on this idea, explaining that while intent signals help prioritize outreach, the way a rep weaves that insight into the conversation is what makes or breaks the call.
"You will have higher success with higher intent and higher predictability. But you have to focus personalization where it fits best." – Ernest Owusu
The Future of AI in Cold Calling
With AI automating more of the sales process, the Orum and 6sense teams are proving that AI doesn’t replace human connection—it enhances it. At 6sense, AI agents send hyper-personalized emails based on intent data, freeing up reps to focus on better calls, not just more calls.
"AI lets SDRs eliminate manual tasks so they can spend more time having high-quality conversations." – Adam Sockel
Daisy sees AI as a key to making the role of an SDR more human, not less.
"Sales is getting harder. More decision-makers, more noise. AI helps you scale what actually works—real, meaningful conversations." – Daisy Chung
What You Can Do Today to Call with More Context
Want to improve your calls today? Here’s a quick win from Ernest and Daisy:
✅ Be intentional with your lists. If you know your personas, you’ll always have relevant topics to bring up. ✅ Use context at scale. Find a broad industry trend or shared experience to mass-personalize your outreach. ✅ Leverage time-based context. Daisy’s trick? If nothing else, use the time of day or day of the week to set the tone.
"When in doubt, reference the time of day. ‘Hey, happy Friday!’ ‘Hope you’re having a great Monday!’ It’s simple, but it gets people engaged." – Daisy Chung
The full episode is packed with even more actionable insights on how to make context-driven calls that don’t just land, but actually convert.
💡 Explore the Orum x 6sense playbook: https://www.orum.com/reports-and-guides/6sense
🔗 Connect with our guests:
- Daisy Chung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisychung13/
- Ernest Owusu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestowusu/
